Not Applicable.
The exercise base disclosed herein is an improvement over the aquatic exercise base disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,450 issued on Jul. 9, 1996, to Kenneth Lochbaum who is the inventor of the present application. The ""450 Patent discloses a base to be attached to the bottom of a body of water. The base may be made up of plastic tubes attached together with their lower ends disposed in a first plane and their upper ends disposed in a second plane.
Applicant is aware of the,following U.S. Pat. No. 2,875,528 to Garate; U.S. Pat. No. 3,415,475 to Goodman; U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,675 to Hopper; U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,044 to Wilson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,799 to Ratelband; U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,096 to Schmitt; U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,544 to Diaz; U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,385 to D""Angelo; U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,317 to Beasley; U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,352 to Elliott; and, U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,564 to Spirito.
The present invention includes a base for use in both aquatic and other exercise with plastic tubes that rest on a plate by which they are held in spaced relation to each other. Each tube has vertically extending slots and outwardly extending channels, which overlay the slots. The channels are integrally attached to the tubes. Receptors having lugs that can be inserted in the slots of tubes with the lugs extending into the slot and sliding down through the slots and channels through the plate. The receptors can then be rotated bringing the lugs under the plate or into a horizontally extending recess in the support and into contact with a stop member to prevent the receptor from being removed from the cylindrical member.
Channel members comprising three closed sides, and a partly open side may be used to secure an individual base section in an operative position on a bottom or side of a pool or on the ceiling thereover. The channel provides a means for adjusting the position of the individual base section by sliding it along the length of the channel to a desired position.
A wrench with a long handle is provided for use in pools containing water. The wrench can be operated from above the top of the water. The wrench has a non-circular socket to receive a non-circular member on the receptor so that the receptor can be rotated by an operator above the water bringing the lugs on the receptor back into the vertical slots in the tubular member so that an operator from a position above the top surface of the water can remove the receptor from the base under water.
It is an object of the. present invention to provide a base for aquatic exercise to be used with a removably attachable receptor to support exercise equipment.
It is another object of the invention to provide a removal tool to attach and detach receptors at desired positions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a base for use in exercise, both aquatic and other exercise equipment. In addition to other applications, such as crowd control, signs, universal hold devices, and other applications.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved receptor for use with the base for aquatic exercise and ordinary exercise.
It is another object of the invention to provide a base for aquatic exercise, a removably attachable receptor and a tool to attach and detach receptors from the base that are simple in construction, economical to manufacture and simple and efficient to use.
With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.